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Evidence summaries

Music-Based Therapeutic Interventions for People with Dementia

In dementia, music-based therapeutic intervention with at least 5 sessions might possibly reduce depressive symptoms but has little or no effect on agitation or aggression. There might possibly be little or no effect on emotional well-being or quality of life, overall behavioural problems and cognition. Level of evidence: "D"

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (unclear allocation concealment), inconsistency (heterogeneity in patients and interventions) and imprecise results (few patients in each comparison).

Summary

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 16 studies with a total of 620 subjects. Patients in the studies had dementia of varying degrees of severity, all were residents in institutions. Five studies delivered an individual music intervention; in the others, the intervention was delivered to groups of participants. Most interventions involved both active and receptive musical elements. At the end of treatment, there was evidence that music-based therapeutic interventions may have little or no effect on emotional well-being and quality of life (SMD 0.32, 95% CI −0.08 to 0.71; 6 studies, n=181), overall behaviour problems (SMD −0.20, 95% CI −0.56 to 0.17; 6 studies, n=209) and cognition (SMD 0.21, 95% CI −0.04 to 0.45; 6 studies, n=257). They reduced depressive symptoms (SMD −0.28, 95% CI −0.48 to −0.07; 9 studies, n=376), but do not decrease agitation or aggression (SMD −0.08, 95% CI −0.29 to 0.14; 12 studies, n=515).

Clinical comments

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Date of latest search:

References

  • van der Steen JT, van Soest-Poortvliet MC, van der Wouden JC et al. Music-based therapeutic interventions for people with dementia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017;5():CD003477. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords